Young Justice: Rebirth
by Dakudoragon'naito87
Summary: In another time, in another life the Team would have been but only five heroes in its humble beginnings. This is not that life. Things have changed, and the board is larger than ever before. Nine heroes must forge an unbreakable bond if their world is to survive, from invasion both at home and abroad. These young heroes will shape the future of the DC Universe. Question is, how?


**Hello ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the world of Young Justice! Now I know some of you are concerned that I have abandoned my other fics, but rest assured they are not. I'm still in university, and it's taken quite a toll for the past couple of months. So rest assured, they are being worked on, just need some time to look at a computer screen for more than just research.**

 **So, to break down this fic. Young Justice with some added DC characters and themes. Mainly from the comics, early 90s and early 2000s cartoons and others. Also, first and foremost the Team. Same roster with some added muscle. Like we're talking Young Justice League in a very literal sense here.**

 **In addition I'm going to be changing the origin stories of some of the characters, as well as the couples and rivalries that will arise as the fic takes its course. Mostly for Superboy and Dick Grayson.**

 **However, Spitfire is safe and secure. No one gonna mess with that, not in this universe! To new fans, you'll figure it out. For the others like myself who watched the living hell out of Young Justice when it first aired, you already know what I'm talking about.**

 **Also, certain members of the Justice League sound and act like their earlier DCAU, counterparts. Some will also take inspiration from their current DCEU counterparts as well. So, Kevin Conroy Batman, Mark Hamill Joker, Jason Mamoa Aquaman, and others. As well as the Assault on Arkham versions of Killer Frost, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Amanda Waller, etc. Also gonna make it so that some of the League members are a little older than in the Young Justice universe, to better mesh with the new origin stories and certain events that will occur.**

 **I can tell you however, that there are certain events that will arise during the story, and its potential sequels, that will fundamentally rock the proverbial boat of the Young Justice Universe I am trying to create.**

 **More specifically these two.**

 **The Death of Superman, and Battle for the Cowl.**

 **Yeah, we're gonna fucking go there.**

 **I think I've said enough. On with the show.**

 **For posterity, I encourage readers to play the Young Justice theme before reading. Adds to the nostalgia I think.**

* * *

Gauging eyes watched on in silent approval as a young man worked his way through a complex series of acrobatic and physical challenges that relied on skill, instinct, drive, and keen spatial awareness in order to overcome. The boy had just turned fourteen years old, and possessed a mop of ragged black hair and a pair of sharp, eagle like blue eyes that darted all around as he flipped and weaved through every obstacle in his path. His body, built over the years through the rigors of constant exercise and a finely tuned diet coiled and moved like a well-oiled machine as the young man's cut physique flexed with every movement.

Bruce Wayne could only look at the stop watch in his hand as he watched his young partner try and finish the training course that dominated the Batcave; something Bruce had designed upon his return to Gotham years ago in order to better prepare himself for the life he had chosen to lead beyond the billionaire playboy persona he used to deal with the media. As the nightmare which haunted the dark rooftops of Gotham and who battled the maniacs and psychopaths that plagued his once great city.

Seconds steadily ticked by as the young teen came within but a few feet of the end. Yet as fatigue at last took its toll the boy stumbled ever so slightly, with Bruce fully expecting his young partner to collapse and thus end the exercise. However a fierce light entered the boy's eyes as they became a vivid cobalt, rather than their normal shade so similar to the Dark Knight's own frosted blue. A burning fire housed with them that Bruce felt resembled his own so long ago, which burned bright through the darkness of the cave as the Caped Crusader watched with rapt attention.

With a surge of energy that surprised even Bruce the boy sprung forward onto his hands and coiled his body like a spring; launching himself upwards in an elegant arc as the final obstacle passed beneath him harmlessly, the heavy aluminum pole arm that had been aimed directly at his stomach whistling as it passed beneath him. Controlling the spin and centering his weight, the boy landed feet first with a proud and weary smile on his face; his hair matted with sweat as it clung to his face and his chest heaved with every ragged breath.

Bruce remained stoic however as he looked down at the stop watch, diligently writing the boy's time down as he then tossed the pen and paper aside and moved towards the still panting young man.

The boy turned to face him with a wide smile, the grey and blue colored leotard that left his arms bare dampened from sweat as Bruce looked down at his young protégé.

"So how'd I do Bats?" the boy asked eagerly, propping his hands on his hips as he looked up at the taller man. The hard blue eyes remained expressionless however as the young man waited for Bruce to speak.

"You did well Robin," the Dark Knight said honestly, a slight smirk on his lips as he patted the boy on his shoulder. Yet that was soon gone as the tall and heavily muscled man crossed his arms and gave his young ward a hard, but patient look. "But you still overextended yourself on obstacles six, thirteen, twenty, and thirty-seven. You also left yourself open to a potential counter when one of the drones rushed you and you had to avoid it or risk being shocked, only blind luck saving you from the second drone that rushed at you from the back."

Every word only seemed to weigh down the boy's shoulders, bright blue eyes gaining a dull and lusterless look as he lowered his head to stare at his feet, clenching his fists as the knuckles popped and a bright anger rose like a sweltering flame in his eyes.

"However…"

Dick froze, eyes wide and shoulders tense as he slowly lifted his head up and saw the proud look in the taller man's eyes.

"Your performance exceeded my expectations, and even I made mistakes the first time I ran it. You'll get there." Bruce pat the boy on the head before he turned towards the exit of the Batcave, gesturing for the boy to follow him as night descended on Gotham.

While miles away a young girl sat in silence as she stared out over the city of Metropolis, her short trimmed blonde hair billowing in the breeze as she adjusted the chest area of her costume, which was a white one piece leotard that emphasized her maturing figure quite effortlessly with a section of the chest which left her cleavage bare. This was coupled with a pair of lightly armored, sky-blue knee high boots; alongside a red cape that ended at her lower thighs and was held in place by a golden circlet. Gloved hands ran through her hair as she tucked some errant strands behind her ear, waiting impatiently with a pout on her full, cupid bow lips as crystalline blue eyes looked from beneath long lashes for her partner.

"Where the hell is he?!" she asked in annoyance as she blew one of her bangs out of her face, the light of the moon drowned out by the lights of the wondrous city she and her cousin called their own. "If he forgot about patrol again because of Lois wanting him to spend the night I swear I'm gonna-" she growled only to give a sharp squeak as a deep chuckle echoed behind her.

"What exactly are _you_ going to do Power Girl?" a calm, deep tenor voice asked quizzically, the girl spinning around as she looked up at the rather tall man currently flying behind her. The blue and red uniform from his home world of Krypton clinging to his muscular build like a second skin as the long cape of crimson red blew in the wind; as the mighty Man of Steel grinned down at her. The symbol of the House of El was displayed proudly upon his chest, partially hidden by his crossed arms as he lowered himself to float before her; chuckling as the young woman shot to her feet.

"By Rao Kal don't do that!" she hissed at the taller super-powered being, her lips curling into a pout as she crossed her arms under her rather buxom chest and glared angrily at her cousin. Superman only chuckled as he looked down at the young woman, hands on his hips as he floated forward to stand on the side of the building alongside her, looking out over the bustling city of Metropolis.

"Sorry, sorry. Just couldn't resist." He apologized with a grin, hearing the young woman huff in annoyance as she moved to stand at his side, the pair making quite the sight if they were to be caught by the people bellow.

"So…" the Man of Steel said a few moments later as the harsh wind howling through the upper area of the city echoed in his ears, "You excited about tomorrow?"

Kara Zor-L, otherwise known as Karen Starr smiled happily and flew out in front of her cousin, crossing her arms as her excitement shattered her generally cool façade.

"I'm absolutely stoked about tomorrow!" she cheered with a bright, eager energy in her eyes that Superman had rarely seen since he found the young sixteen year old woman almost four years ago. "I get to meet all the other Justice League members, and the other partners. I couldn't be happier." Little did Karen realise that the future that awaited not only herself but all of Earth's heroes in the coming months would soon arrive. As the young partners sought to make their mark on the world. To prove themselves worthy of being considered Earth's greatest heroes in the many centuries to follow.

* * *

July 4th 2010, 0600 EDT.

The next morning came bright and early for the young ward of Bruce Wayne, his hair shaggy and unkempt as he rose from his bed and yawned loudly before wiping his eyes and tossing his covers away. Throwing his legs over the side of his bed, Richard Grayson stood tall as the light from his bedroom window splashed across his face. Turning to face the foot of his bed while standing in front of his small bedside table, Dick leaned forward and caught himself before his face hit the floor; beginning a set of eighty push-ups to start his morning routine as he felt his muscles loosen and his mind clear the drowsiness of sleep with each sharp breath in and out. While at the door leading into the fourteen year old's room, and unbeknownst to the young man as he continued his exercise; Alfred Pennyworth, the long standing advisor and butler of the Wayne family watched on.

Every single push and subsequent descent only pained the seasoned gentleman, his brows furrowed and his lips set in a nearly unnoticeable frown as he watched the young Master go about his morning.

' _It still pains me deeply to see how vastly drawn he is to the darkness and the life you chose to lead Master Bruce… Yet as I watch this boy grow before my eyes, despite everything you tell me otherwise… I wouldn't have any trouble in believing that boy was your own son,'_ Alfred thought to himself as the image of a younger Bruce Wayne superimposed itself atop of young Master Richard before the aged man's eyes, and the resemblance between the two men was nearly uncanny. _'Perhaps it would be wise to look into Master Richard's family more closely…'_ the former SAS operative mused, idly holding his chin with a free hand as he watched the Boy Wonder finish his push-ups and then move on to begin his suspended crunches, an exercise even Master Bruce had admitted had been the young man's own input to the routine. _'I get the distinct impression Master Bruce is playing at his old games and trying to hide something from me again. When will he learn that I_ never _lose at these little games of his?'_

A few hours later, with his stomach full and his mind cleared Dick stood patiently in the heart of the Batcave, clad in the experimental Robin suit he'd fashioned during his nights at home in the 'Cave with Lucius when Batman needed him here at the Batcomputer more than in the field. It was colored predominantly in black and dark red, with a touch of burnt yellow and forest green highlight on the bracers, greaves and the stylized R in the upper portion of his right pectoral; so as to better blend in with the darkness that was as much a home to him as Wayne Manor was and to keep all the essential colors of his old suit.

Dick had asked Lucius to fashion the suit based on the schematics of the prototype Batsuit Bruce had started working on following the Blackgate Incident, with the interlocking plates and armor made of some of the strongest and lightest materials money could buy. It was by far Dick's best suit to date, and would no doubt serve him well with a few more… _personal_ modifications in the years to come.

"Old Fox has outdone himself again," Dick praised with a smirk, propping his hands on his hips as he felt the memory cloth cape at his back flutter with the softest movement, the interior of the cloth now colored a dark yellow in place of the near neon shade it had once been. The small domino mask placed over his eyes was now more streamlined, and had been modified to cover more of the bridge of his nose and the sides of his head; flaring out like the wings of a bird while the clear lenses that allowed him to access Detective Mode flashed as he tested the systems.

"Everything's good to go," he mused with a cackle, reaching down for the electrified eskrima sticks sheathed in the twin holsters strapped to his upper thighs. He figured he'd give them a try out on patrol tonight, since they'd allow more mobility and options than his old bo-staff and to make sure that any problems that arose could be found and dealt with accordingly.

"What are you doing?" the sudden dark timbre of his adoptive father echoed behind him, with Robin barely being able to maintain his composure as he turned and looked up at the infamous Bat with a smirk.

"Just testing the new threads," Robin explained as he smirked triumphantly at Batman; whom he noted was also wearing the experimental Batsuit Lucius had fashioned for him. "And I gotta say the Old Fox has really stepped it up this time around," Robin praised, crossing his arms and grinning impishly. Batman only looked at Robin in silence, before he gave the teen a small smirk and moved towards the Batcomputer after moving past his young protégé.

"I wonder what KF and Aqualad are doing?" Robin murmured quietly to himself as he moved to stand beside his mentor, looking at the screen intently until a very familiar face popped on screen. The cold enraged gaze of Victor Fries stared back at the Boy Wonder and the Dark Knight from footage taken by a security camera, which was swiftly destroyed and leaving nothing but static.

"Looks like you'll get the chance to test out your new suit after all. Freeze is assaulting Gotham Jewelers, and he's got some friends to back him up." Batman said calmly as he turned and strode for the Batmobile, his cape billowing behind him as he leapt into the air and landed in the driver seat. Turning his head, Batman stared at his ward as the young man moved towards him.

"Coming?"

"Like you even need to ask?"

* * *

In Central City, a young man with dark red hair and clad in a form fitting friction-less suit of yellow and red was running through the streets, appearing as nothing but a blur if even seen by the people walking the streets. His mouth was set in a firm line, bright green eyes narrowed beneath the dark red goggles resting over them as a man in a suit of red and gold with a lightning bolt emblazoned proudly on his chest appeared at his side.

"What's the rush kiddo, you're even giving me a run for my money here," Barry Allen, also known to the people of Central as The Flash joked with a grin, excited that Wally was finally starting to show signs of improvement in his speed. The young man in yellow however, staunchly ignoring his uncle's praise only scoffed as he looked at the taller man, his feet never breaking stride as the two rounded the corner at nearly ninety degrees and sped towards the Central City Bank.

"The rush Uncle Barry, is the fact that it's today of all days that Captain Cold decides to try and ruin it by robbing the bank again!" Wally West, alias Kid Flash groused in annoyance, pushing on his speed to go even faster as his uncle tried to keep pace.

"Relax Kid, jeez you're acting more like your aunt every day I swear," Flash joked with a shake of his head as he kept pace with his young partner, the two men nothing but parallel streaks of bright yellow and dark red as they at last came to a stop in front of the Central Bank.

"See," Flash said pointedly as he crossed his arms over his chest, chuckling as he watched one of his more troublesome rogues try and haul the money out of the bank. "He can't even lift the bags. He ain't going anywhere anytime soon Kid."

"Whatever," Kid Flash grumbled, lifting his goggles up to rest on the top of his mask as he tapped his foot impatiently. "Let's just deal with this clown and get going, I don't want to be late. And with you that's bound to happen if I don't interfere. Because first it'll be the cops, then the medics, and then you'll start to shoot the breeze with Captain Cold even! Not today." And it was with a tremendous burst of speed that Wally dashed forward with a sharp look in his eyes, his right fist cocked back and then sent thundering forward as he knocked Captain Cold out flat in a single strike before coming to a stop with his hand still outstretched and a megawatt grin on his face.

"Cause today is the day, and nothing is gonna stop me from being there!"

* * *

While at the same time in Coast City, a jet black sedan was driving madly along the interstate; weaving wildly through traffic to the angry sound of horns blaring from the other drivers as the four men seated inside looked around frantically for whatever drove them to such extremes.

"You see anything?" the driver asked frantically, his voice having cracked on the last syllable as his fear began to eat away at him.

"No and that's what worries me!" the one leaning out the left back window called out, his mane of shaggy brown hair blowing wildly in the wind as he kept his eyes peeled for any trace of what was chasing them in the bright skies of Coast City.

"Well keep looking! Last thing we need is to be caught before we can make the delivery to the boss!" the one in the seat beside him groused angrily, sharp blue eyes narrowed in anger as he tightened his grip on the large magnum handgun in his hand, peeking back occasionally as the large briefcase handcuffed to his wrist was tucked safely between his knees.

Yet the four criminals' joy ride came to a gut wrenching end, as a brick wall constructed entirely from green colored energy appeared directly in front of them; causing them to crash with a sickening crunch of steel and aluminium as the car came to an abrupt halt. Groaning in agony as the four criminals managed to force open the doors, they soon came face to face with two men dressed in jet-black and emerald green skin tight suits, a symbol reminiscent of a lantern emblazoned on their chests surrounded by a white background. Yet to the crooks' confusion, the shorter one on the right was a Green Lantern they didn't recognize; the taller of the two Lanterns being none other than the illustrious Hal Jordan. Someone they were all familiar with as he was the same Lantern who had ended many of their sprees early in his career. The one who had ended their little joy ride however appeared to be in his late teens, and wore a suit that bore an appearance closer to Kevlar body armor rather than the skin-tight suits that both Hal and the second human Green Lantern John Stewart favoured.

Hal Jordan smirked a little as he landed on the pavement, hands on his hips as his young partner landed beside him, the teens mouth set in a thin line as he kept his arm outstretched; the Green Lantern power ring glowing bright until the young Lantern's construct of a brick wall began to fade away in wisps of green light like oil paint on a wet canvas.

"Not bad kid, not bad at all," Hal said proudly as he moved forward and clapped the young man on the shoulder. The young man turned and gave the older Lantern a light grin as the criminals simply remained where they lied, the sounds of sirens soon reaching the two heroes ears.

"What can I say, I had a good teacher," Kyle Rayner answered in return, crossing his arms as the CCPD arrived on the scene; with Detective Hill, a fairly easy going man recently transferred from Metropolis moving towards the two Lanterns while his partner offered the two Lanterns a small smile and nod of his head. Shaking his head in amusement, Hill put a cigarette in his mouth as he addressed the two Lanterns.

"Not bad work boys, though I'm not sure the insurance covers superhero as the cause of an accident," the young officer joked with a snicker, scratching his chin before running a hand through his dark hair.

"Hey Santiago! You got the briefcase?" he called out as the two Lanterns watched on, standing slightly to the side as the tall man moved to help haul the four crooks to their car while one of the other uniformed officers moved to collect the others.

The other detective gave a quick nod, dark brown eyes narrowed a little as he looked down at the crook sat by the car.

"Yeah, got it right here. All thanks to the boys in green at that," he said with a grin, nodding at the two Lanterns before he pushed one of the crooks towards the squad car.

"Well, if that'll be all Detective, me and the kid have somewhere to be in about three hours so we are going to have to leave these punks, in your very capable hands," Hal said with a smirk and a two fingered salute as he rose into the air, the more armored of the two right on his heels as they flashed away in two streaks of green light.

* * *

While at Pearl Harbor, the lush sands and crystalline waters of the island were now encased in a thick layer of ice as one of the cruisers lurched in the water as her hull began to splinter and crack from the constantly decreasing temperature. The sounds of battle could be heard from the shore, as a pillar of water that glowed an ethereal blue rose from the sea and crashed against onto of the bow. Within it was a young man, drenched in the cold water as he rose to face his adversary.

His hair was a bleached blonde and cropped close to his skull, while dark brown skin was soon coated in small droplets of ice and the sensitive areas surrounding his webbed hands and gills. He dashed forward and took cover behind a stack of crates that remained above deck, grunting harshly as he twisted his body to avoid a blast of ice energy. His source of protection however was soon blasted with ice and quickly froze solid, forcing him back as his sharp jade colored eyes now narrowed in concentration. Dodging another blast of ice he slid behind one of the main guns and planned his next move.

Reaching back he grabbed two slightly curved black handles, which began to glow and hum in the familiar throes of Atlantian magic. They were connected to a small circular pack that was resting at his upper back, the color standing out against the vibrant red of his Atlantian scale armor. The twin spiralling eel tattoos that travelled from his wrists up to his shoulders glowed as well, the mystic energy renown in the walls of Atlantis coming to bear as it answered the his call.

Kaldur'ahm, alias Aqualad grimaced gently as he peaked out from cover as he condensed the water that remained on the deck into twin katana blades, his gaze sharp as he analysed the sole female member of the Ice Clan group of villains.

Killer Frost, a rather voluptuous and attractive woman with pale skin, vibrant blue eyes, and pale blue hair was clad in a dark blue leotard and pale blue leggings. Her shoulders were left bare by the cut of her leotard, with a majority of her arm covered in a long dark blue sleeve with white fur for the trim. Frost chuckled darkly as she moved to cover the deck of the ship with a thick layer of ice, twin beams of concentrated cryokinetic energy lashing out all around the young hero while every step only increased the speed of the ice.

"What's wrong fish boy? Can't handle being in the middle of a cold front?" she asked loudly, a sneer growing on her plump dark pink lips as she raised her hands and blasted ice at the protégé of Aquaman, and laughed maliciously as the young hero backpedaled to escape her attack.

"All things considered, I find myself more annoyed than scared of the cold Miss Lincoln," Aqualad responded with a small smirk as he landed on a large chuck of ice and skated atop the deck of the ship, crouched low as he used his blades to defend himself from Frost's continued assault. "After all, this is just a regular day for you and I," he said with cold tone as he leapt forward to land in front of the villainess, his twin blades now frozen solid as he swung his arms up. With a deafening crack the twin blades smashed into Frost's jaw, knocking her out in an instant as she collapsed to the deck after falling back nearly five feet from the force of the blow.

Landing before her, Aqualad quietly released his hold over his powers and allowed the tattoos to fade to their normal ink black colour, sheathing the two hilts onto his back as he stared down at the fallen villainess. The sound of the wave's rushing forth soon grabbed the young hero's attention, as he turned to see his mentor Aquaman rise from the depths after having been blasted away from the ship by Frost's ice earlier in the battle.

Clad in the armor of his ancestor Atlan, the King of Atlantis struck a rather intimidating figure, towering over his young charge with slightly copper skin due to his father's island ancestry. The most notable feature however are the golden eyes and the prominent scar above his brow, along with the wild mane of dirty blond hair and the short trimmed beard.

"Come on kid, I barely got a good workout for all the trouble she caused," the King of Atlantis said with a teasing smirk, clapping his young partner on the shoulder as he stared down at the unconscious ice villainess. "Don't get me wrong, I am proud to see that my lessons have proven their worth. Although next time, I get the last hit."

Kaldur, already used to some of his King's odd behaviour at time simply nodded with a small smirk. "Thank you my King, I am honored that you have taken my on as your charge," the young man said with his fist over his heart in a salute. The small smirk soon vanished when the time finally caught up with him, as Aqualad then addressed his king. "But we mustn't remain here. We are needed in Washington." Aqualad said as he moved towards the side of the ship, the young man's mentor chuckling to himself as he moved to follow his young protégé.

 _'Reminds me of Vulko more and more everyday,'_ Arthur thought to himself with pride, however his small smile vanished quickly as guilt soon emerged to replace it and take root as he stared at the back of his student. _'Although, I see a lot of his father in him as well.'_

* * *

While on the Brooklyn Bridge in beautiful New York City, Icicle Junior; a young man with the ability to create and control ice laughed maniacally as he doused a row of cars with twin beams of light blue energy. The occupants inside screamed in horror and fear as they stared at the laughing ice villain; his body encased in a thin but rather hard layer of ice that rested over his light blue skin. The villain's dark eyes spoke of utmost joy as he stared at his victims, until a golden lasso which seemed to glow with a light sheen appeared from above and tightened around his waist.

Icicle Junior smiled as he turned his head and stared at the famed Wonder Woman, his grin dark and malicious as he turned and grabbed the lasso and swiftly untied himself from its grasp.

"Finally, I was wondering what a guy had to do to get a little attention around here!" he cried as he thickened the ice around his arms into massive gauntlets of jagged crystal. Shifting himself into a rough boxing stance Junior launched his arm in a series of jabs which released javelin like constructs of ice. Yet as they flew towards his target, the buxom Amazon only smirked and crossed her arms as she stood atop the bridge; as a flash of black and red appeared before her.

The lances of ice exploded into numerous shards as the sharp clang of steel echoed in Junior's ears as the flash of color, turned out to be a young woman who appeared to be fifteen years old. She possessed long light blonde hair with unkempt bangs, while the rest of it was held back by a thin black headband. Her rather generously developing frame was emphasized by the black sleeveless top that she wore with the twin silver W's emblazoned on her chest flashing in the sun as she came to rest hovering before her mentor. A golden lasso hung from her waist over a pair of bright red pants, with the outfit capped off by twin bracelets of bright silver, star shaped earrings, and dark blue greaves that rose to cover most of her lower leg.

Cassie Sandsmark, demi-god Daughter of Zeus, half-sister of Wonder Woman and known to the world as Wonder Girl glared down in annoyance at the scowling ice themed villain. Placing her hands gently on her hips, Wonder Girl rolled her eyes as Icicle Junior rambled at her from the bridge.

"You seriously had to pick today of all days to go on a temper tantrum didn't you Junior?" she asked hotly, scowling at the ice wielding man as the young Amazon felt lightning dance atop her fingertips. The smell of ozone permeated the air around the young woman as her light blue eyes began to flash as she called on her powers as a child of Zeus, until her mentor came to her side and placed a calming hand on the young girl's shoulder.

"Easy Wonder Girl, take heed to remember that not all enemies are worth the use of your full power. Junior is one such individual, a boy lashing out for attention rather than someone worthy of such drastic action. You need not disgrace your honor by lowering yourself to his level and demeaning yourself by believing he is worthy of all you can deliver," Wonder Woman gently implored, a knowing look in her eyes as she smiled gently at the blonde haired young woman.

Wonder Girl took a deep breath as she felt her annoyance begin to fade, giving her mentor a bright smile as she turned to look at the taller woman.

"Thanks Diana," she said gratefully, the two women smirking at each other until a rage filled howl reached their ears.

"Enough already!" Icicle howled, summoning massive pillars of ice that he then launched towards the two heroes, who quickly dodged out of the way as they refocused on the matter at hand. "Come on! I came for a fight so let's fight!"

Wonder Girl smirked at the villain's words, dodging another lance of ice as she then dived towards Junior, arms outstretched as the wind howled in her ears as she raced towards her opponent. Icicle, having caught sight of her began to panic, his eyes going wide as he scrambled backwards and raised his arms to construct a seven foot thick wall of ice to try and ward off the young Amazon. Wonder Girl only smirked as she flipped forward, landing with an acrobats grace on the surface of the wall as she launched herself skyward and twirled over the edge of the ice construct. Landing on the bridge with a dull thud behind the ice villain, Wonder Girl drew back her fist and released a straight jab. what happened next stunned everyone.

Yet none more so than Cassie, as she was visibly shocked at seeing Icicle drop like a sack of hammers when her fist made contact and sent him flying through the thick layer of ice and skidded on the pavement for a solid twenty feet. A single hit which would barely dent the side of a car.

Icicle Jr. laid flat on his back as he began groaning in pain while his head finally fell back and rested on the street. The constant ringing in his ears was slowly fading away as he slipped further into unconsciousness and then with a pitiful moan was at last down for the count. Wonder Woman came down to inspect her apprentice's work, and couldn't help but chuckle once she saw the unconscious ice villain.

"Seems he was more bark than bite," Diana mused, crossing her arms across her chest as Wonder Girl stared down at her opponent in growing dismay, disappointed that she had not gotten the fight she had been hoping for. Glancing towards the sun, Wonder Woman soon began to rise into the air, catching the attention of her protégé as the blonde girl moved to follow her.

"Come Wonder Girl, we must be off if we are to meet with the others on time," the Amazon princess called out, smirking as her young charge's expression changed in a heartbeat into excitement and rocketed into the air after her.

* * *

Robin stood silently as he walked towards the Justice League's Headquarters, his new costume gaining many looks of appraisal from the crowd that awaited not only him but the other young heroes. He felt a small grin tug at his lips as he gazed towards the excited crowd, his domino mask firmly in place as Batman stepped forward to stand beside him.

"Today's the day," Batman said quietly, a small nearly unnoticeable smirk on his lips as he turned to gaze at his adopted son; the young man flashing his mentor a bright grin as the cheers from the crowd intensified. Lifting his head, Robin grinned as he saw Wonder Woman and her own partner, Cassie Sandsmark come to stand before him and Bruce; the blonde haired girl smiling shyly accompanied by a small wave as Robin gave her a bright grin.

"Batman. It's good to see you," Diana said in greeting, giving the Dark Knight a small, heartfelt smile.

"Likewise," Batman said shortly, simply giving the Amazon a small nod of his head beneath the metallic cowl as the two Leaguers faced each other in comfortable silence. Both heroes however soon focused their attention on their young charges, both anxious and curious to see how their young partners would react to one another. Robin, as Batman knew he would, simply stepped forward and faced the blonde haired heroine and grinned.

"You do some pretty good work up in New York," he said with a chuckle, crossing his arms as he cocked a sole brow at the young woman. "Though I gotta admit, the thrashing you gave Frosty the Knock-Off on the Brooklyn Bridge earlier today was a little lackluster." Wonder Girl groaned to herself and rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms and looked at the Boy Wonder.

"Oh by Zeus I know! Ugh, he throws a friggin' temper tantrum to try and get our attention in New York; and then has the nerve to go down in one hit because he's got a stupid glass jaw!" Cassie complained to her fellow hero, pouting gently as Robin began to chuckle and gave the blonde girl a knowing look.

"Trust me, you have no clue how easy some of the thugs in Gotham go down from a good tap to the jaw. It's pretty annoying when you want to let off some steam, and can't enjoy a good brawl once in a while," the Boy Wonder said with a smirk, getting the young Amazon to giggle gently as she moved forward and then held out her hand.

"Wonder Girl," she said with a smile, grinning brightly as Robin moved forward and firmly grasped her hand in his own.

"Robin," the Boy Wonder said shortly, suddenly cocking his head to the side as the sound of the crowd grew to a thunderous roar. Looking to the sky, Robin felt his eyes narrow gently as he saw the white clad figure next to the familiar blue and red of the Man of Steel himself. The two figures dashed towards them at great speed before they landed in front of the four other heroes with nary a sound, the blonde haired girl standing at Superman's side smirking confidently as she cocked her hips and, when having caught sight of Robin, winked confidently at the Boy Wonder.

Robin felt his eyes narrow as a light smirk graced his lips before he moved to meet the Son of Krypton and the blonde teen, Wonder Girl following nervously behind him. Superman looked down and gave the Boy Wonder a quirked brow and light grin, gesturing towards the young man's new suit with a tilt of his chin.

"Nice suit Robin. Looks good on you," Kal complimented with a chuckle before he moved past the young heroes, smiling widely as he caught the gaze of his two friends.

"Batman, Wonder Woman. I trust you two are doing well?" he asked, focusing on the two Leaguers while Karen sized up her fellow teenage heroes. More specifically Wonder Woman's protégé, who Karen knew was called Wonder Girl.

The blonde Amazon looked slightly nervous, her eyes darting around as she rubbed at her arms anxiously and tried to give the Kryptonian a small, encouraging smile. Power Girl returned the smile, able to mask her own nervousness as the Amazon visibly relaxed before moving closer and grinning at the Daughter of Krypton.

"I'm Wonder Girl!" the blonde teen said brightly, offering her hand in greeting which Karen swiftly returned. The two noting how firm the others grip was, and causing them to gain wolfish smiles knowing that they had met another individual capable of standing toe to toe with them.

"Power Girl. I'm Superman's cousin," Karen said as she introduced herself, smirking at the awe struck look on Wonder Girl's face.

"Really!? That's so cool!" Cassie remarked, grinning brightly at the other blonde haired hero before she eventually remembered the dark clad boy currently standing beside them. Moving to the side she then gestured towards the silent Boy Wonder, who had remained as such the moment the Kryptonian had landed and moved towards him and Wonder Girl.

"Power Girl, this is Robin. Batman's partner," Wonder Girl said with a smile, turning to look at her new friend when she was visibly startled by Power Girl's laughter.

"Trust me on this one Wonder Girl, _everyone_ knows who he is. The infamous Bird of Gotham, who rides in the shadow of the Dark Knight," Power Girl said with a smirk, offering her hand to the lightly smirking Boy Wonder.

"Good to know that my reputation proceeds me," Robin said shortly, clasping Power Girl's hand until he lowered his own and let them rest at his sides as the cape of his new suit folded over them and his chest.

The small gathering of heroes was soon broken up as four more heroes arrived, as the familiar tell-tale glow of a Green Lantern Ring appeared above them as Hal Jordan lowered himself and Aquaman to stand beside the other Leaguers. Yet above the three young heroes, two teen boys were seen coming towards them, Robin smiling as he recognized two of his closest friends.

He moved towards them instantly once they landed, the small platform of energy constructed by Lantern fading away as the two boys smiled at the Boy Wonder. Power Girl and Wonder Girl were curious as to the apparent familiarity of the three heroes, moving towards them in order to catch what Robin said to the two taller boys.

"Was wondering when you two slow pokes would finally show up," Robin said with a grin, holding out his closed fist towards the two who swiftly returned it.

"Sorry to tell you this Rob, but not everyone has the Bat looking over the shoulder for being on time about everything," Green Lantern said with a smirk, crossing his arms before he caught sight of the two other heroes approaching them. Stepping forward he gave a small nod of his head and a warm smile offering a two fingered salute to the two heroines.

"Green Lantern, pleasure to meet you," he said brightly. Tilting his head he gestured towards the dark skinned hero beside him, after catching the two female heroes' attention. "This is Aqualad."

Power Girl and Wonder Girl both shared glances with each other before the blonde Kryptonian gained a confident grin and looked up towards the black haired Lantern.

"Nice to meet you Lantern, Aqualad. I'm Power Girl, Superman's partner. The shyly grinning blonde to my left is Wonder Girl," Karen introduced, first gesturing at herself before pointing at Wonder Girl who waved shyly at the tall Lantern.

"I look forward to working with you both," Kyle said with a smile, turning to look at his friends as Aqualad and Robin moved to join them.

"So at last we are all here. Ready to take the next big step in our journey as heroes," Aqualad said calmly, glancing at the Hall of Justice as did the other young heroes; a sense of pride burning deep within them as they awaited the next big step in their journey.

The sudden sound of howling wind caused the young heroes to turn and look towards the sound in bewilderment, with Robin smirking knowingly as he crossed his arms and started to chuckle.

And before the gathered heroes now stood a young man, dressed in a skin tight bright yellow and red suit with a lightning bolt emblazoned on his chest. He was soon joined by a taller man in a bright red suit of similar design, save for a full cowl that covered his eyes and his hair.

Wally West groaned in annoyance as he stared at the other gathered heroes, a scowl forming on his face as he turned and stared at the sheepish expression on his Uncle's face.

"What did I tell you? I told you, I told you we would be the last one's here!" Kid Flash said, crossing his arms as he scowled at the nervously smiling hero of Central City. The Flash only laughed sheepishly in response, scratching the back of his head as he watched his nephew lightly pout at him before the young hero groaned and marched towards the other teenaged heroes.

Robin stood proudly at the front of the young heroes as they followed after their mentors towards the Hall of Justice, the spectators talking in hushed whispers as they inspected the teens while they made for the Justice League HQ. Even under such scrutiny, the young heroes were unflinching from the whispers and the stares, though all save for the Boy Wonder were internally anxious with anticipation at what awaited them.

"I feel so overwhelmed man," Wally said in a hushed whisper as he moved to stand beside Robin, the young red head grinning brightly as he looked at the crowd out the corner of his eye. Robin merely scoffed as he looked towards his friend, the young teen thankful he had Detective Mode activated to mask his eyes from the crowd.

"You're overwhelmed, Freeze was underwhelmed. Why can't anyone just be _whelmed_?" the young man asked to himself as the group at last entered the Hall of Justice. And the sight before them took the young heroes' breath away. Gold statues, monoliths of such epic scale depicting the founders of the Justice League towered above them; making the young teens feel very small in comparison.

"Oh… Guess that explains it," Robin mused to himself, the first of the teens to shake off the awe he felt at seeing the statue of his adopted father standing tall and proud next to that of the Man of Steel.

"No kidding," KF whispered in awe, until the sound of shouts reached the groups ears, causing the Leaguers and their partners to quicken their pace and enter the main commune area of the Hall. What they found, was Green Arrow and Speedy shouting at each other vehemently as the younger of the two stood nearly nose to nose with his mentor. Batman, as Robin knew he would be, was not too pleased.

"What's going on here?" the Bat asked sharply, the deep baritone of his voice easily making itself known over the shouts of the two archers as they turned towards the audience they had gained.

"Finally, some people who are actually going to give me some answers!" Speedy, civilian identity Roy Harper groused; marching towards the Justice League members while ignoring his fellow partners.

Batman was stoic as the young archer approached, eyes narrowing ever so slightly as they flickered between Roy and his mentor. The ashamed look on Green Arrow's face told Batman all he needed to know, and he made note to discuss this little incident with the archer in greater detail after the younger heroes were registered into the database.

"Explain. Now." Batman growled, ignoring the young red haired man and focusing on the sheepish protector of Star City.

* * *

The rest of the young heroes were silent as they listened to the discussion between Speedy and their mentors, the revelation of the League's real HQ being a space station that orbited the planet a great shock to the young heroes as the rest of the Leaguers looked at Green Arrow in annoyance. Seated together within the Hall library the young teenage heroes gazed impassively at Speedy; who was now glaring at every Leaguer with utter contempt before he looked at his friends and the new faces to their little group.

"They never trusted us in the first place. We're nothing but distractions, sidekicks, only good to help when asked and to be thrown aside the moment we aren't needed anymore." Roy growled, looking beseechingly at the other teen heroes for support. "After all, if they really trusted us, why not come clean about the Leagues real HQ, the Watchtower, rather than feeding us this bullshit excuse of a tourist trap as the real thing? We deserve some respect, not to be treated like children."

However as the silence persisted, and the situation began to sink in for the young man, Roy snarled at the teens and spun on his heel. "Guess they're right about you after all. You _aren't_ ready," he said coldly, throwing down his hat before he wrenched open the door and slammed it shut behind him.

The other teens remained silent as they stared at the door, until the sound of footsteps reached their ears. Turning towards the sound, the teens were greeted to the sight of a slightly nervous Superman, the Last Son of Krypton looking at them guiltily as he let his gaze rest a moment longer on his cousin before he spoke.

"I suppose you want some answers?" he asked gently, waiting for the teens to react to the news that had been lain out before them. Karen was simply waiting for an opportunity to make her displeasure with the situation well known to her cousin, and wasted no time as she stepped forward and glared at the Man of Steel.

"You're damn right we want answers! How could you lie to us Kal?! Lie to me?! After everything we've done alongside the League this is how we're repaid? With distrust and disrespect simply because we're younger than you and the others? We aren't kids Kal! We haven't been children since the day we revealed ourselves to the world as your partners."

Superman was visibly cowed by the younger Kryptonian's words, lowering his head as he sighed before meeting Karen's eyes once again.

"You're right. You aren't children anymore. But all the same, I hope you are mature enough to understand that we don't do this because we do not have faith in you as heroes. Quite the opposite in fact… But there are some things that must be kept, even among the League itself, on a need to know basis. You're too young to be full-fledged members of the League, and thus it was decided that allowing you access to the Hall would be a good first step."

Yet before the young heroes could give a clear answer to the explanation given to them, the large monitor that dominated part of the wall of the Hall meeting room came to life; as the Black Canary stared out at the gathered members of the Justice League.

"Canary to Justice League, the lab for Project Cadmus just suffered a massive explosion and the top level is currently in flames." She reported, the seriousness in her tone causing the younger heroes to stand straighter as they turned to stare at their mentors.

"I've had my suspicions about Cadmus for a while now. Might be the perfect opportunity to investigate," Batman noted sharply, his fingers dashing across the keys of the console as he brought up a live video feed of the Cadmus lab. Yet before a verdict could be reached, an alarm blared to life as the image of Zatarra, another member of the League appeared on screen with a slightly frantic look in his eyes.

"Zatarra to Justice League, the sorcerer Wotan is using the Amulet of Aten to blot out the Sun! Requesting full League response!"

Batman wasted no time as he reconnected the feed to Black Canary, knowing that the transmission was no doubt overheard by the famed martial artist.

"Canary?"

"Cadmus should be fine for the time being, local authorities have the blaze under control and are evacuating the staff as we speak."

Batman seemed pensive at the news, the gnawing suspicion of Cadmus being up to no good festering in his gut as he stared at the console for but a few moments. However, the bigger threat had to take precedence, and Batman knew that not all in the League would be so accepting of his decision if he chose to prioritize Cadmus over Wotan.

"Fine, we'll let them handle it for now. All Leaguers report to Zatarra's coordinates on the double," he ordered, disconnecting the transmission as the rest of the main members of the League moved towards the Zeta tube transporter. Turning towards the young heroes, the Dark Knight then did something that not even Robin had expected.

"Stay here," he ordered, the Caped Crusader's mouth set into a firm line as he felt the unflinching gaze of his young protégé begin to burn into his cowl.

"What, why?" Robin demanded, moving to stand toe to toe with the legendary Bat of Gotham. "This is what you've trained us for! Why let us come here at all if you aren't even going to let us help you?"

Green Lantern spoke up as he moved to stand beside Batman, giving the young heroes an uncharacteristically serious expression as he did.

"This is a League mission kiddo, and you're not trained-"

"Since when!?" Kid Flash interrupted, scowling at the green clad hero who he saw as another Uncle; who simply stared at Kid Flash for a split second before continuing.

"I meant, for your information KF, that you're not trained to be a part of a team. Let alone _this_ team," he said with finality, gesturing towards himself and the other League members who had stayed behind to wait for their teammates. Batman stepped forward after giving Green Lantern a small nod of thanks before he turned to face the young heroes.

"When you're ready, then we can discuss sending you out on assignments. For now. Stay. Put."

His piece said, Batman turned and strode for the Zeta transporter, with Green Lantern and Flash right behind him. Thus leaving the six young heroes alone, standing in silence as they stared at the Zeta tube in distaste. Until Aqualad raised his head and gained a thoughtful look on his face.

"What is…Project Cadmus?" he asked with a determined look in his eyes as he stared at the Boy Wonder.

"Don't know…" Robin mused in suspicion, a wolfish grin full of mischief beginning to grow on his lips. "But I can find out," he promised, moving towards the large computer console and getting to work; the click of the keys as the young man's fingers danced across the board causing a grin to grow on each of the other young heroes faces.

" _Access denied,"_ the console said stoically, the feminine voice unconcerned as the screen remained resolutely blank for the young heroes. Robin merely smirked cockily and stared triumphantly at the screen as he felt his excitement begin to rise.

"Wanna bet?" he challenged, his fingers flying faster than ever as he systematically tore down every firewall and security checkpoint within the system to finally give him and the others the access they needed. Soon enough, his efforts gave them more than satisfying results.

" _Access granted."_

Robin smirked in victory as he delved into the Justice Leagues database, scouring for anything they could find on Cadmus as he and the others waited in anticipation. Kid Flash stared at his best friend shock and amazement, the sheer incredulity of the situation having dawned on him.

"Whoa… How exactly are you doing that?" he asked in confusion, pointing at the Boy Wonder as his eyes dashed between the now open archive and the chuckling sidekick to the Dark Knight.

"Same system as the Batcave," Robin explained with an air of nonchalance, his devilish smirk and knowing tone causing Wally to grin and the others to look at the young man with pride as Robin turned his attention back towards the computer.

"Here it is," he said as he selected the file and the image of a large, slate grey building appeared on screen, the others soon moving closer to examine the rather ordinary and inconspicuous appearance of the facility. Kyle, his curiosity having gotten the better of him, moved to stand behind his friend and read over the shorter boy's shoulder; his Green Lantern Ring on standby to begin archiving the data for potential use in future.

"Alright, Project Cadmus," Green Lantern began to read aloud, eyes narrowed as he continued to read. "Genitics lab here in DC… And that's it?" he asked in surprise, staring at Robin as the other heroes looked at the young man in confusion as well.

"Looks like it. No records on staff, funding for experiments and research, any programs to test out the tech. It's like the whole thing is just supposed to be an empty lot with nothing on top of it," Robin explained. Grinning, he turned towards the other and propped his hands on his hips and smirked at them knowingly. "If Batman's suspicious, maybe we should _investigate_?" he asked them, the wry smirk on his lips causing the others to nod in agreement.

"Solve their case before they do," Aqualad said calmly, before he quirked a small smile. "It would be poetic justice."

"Hey they're all about justice," Robin joked, looking at the oldest member of the little ragtag group as Wally dashed forward and grinned at the Boy Wonder.

"Wait, so you're going to Cadmus? Cause' if you're going then I'm going!" he said happily, clapping Robin on the shoulder as the two teens grinned widely at each other.

"Hey now don't leave me out of this KF," Lantern said sternly, an amused look on his face. "I leave you two knuckleheads alone for more than five minutes then the fire's not the only thing Cadmus is going to have to worry about," he teased, chuckling at the accusatory glare sent at him by the young speedster.

Power Girl merely shook her head in exasperation and amusement as she watched the two teen boys' fire off jokes at one another, crossing her arms under her chest before immediately walking towards the only other female of the group with quick, confident strides. Wonder Girl appeared anxious from what Power Girl observed as she drew closer, the young Amazon lightly jumping as Karen gently nudged her with an elbow. The Amazon swiftly turned to stare at Karen in surprise as the blonde Kryptonian smirked challengingly at her.

"So what do you say Wonder Girl… You ready for some real action?" she asked playfully, the blonde Kryptonian smirking only wider still as she saw the excitement brighten Wonder Girl's eyes.

"I was born ready," she vowed, the two girls smirking at each other before they giggled gently and clasped their right hands together with a soft thud. Lowering her hand to her side once more, Power Girl then moved forward and propped her left forearm on Robin's caped shoulder; uncaring of the blank stare she received for the action as she stared at the screen determinedly with her other hand on her hip.

"Well, now that we've come to an understanding, we do know _one_ thing about Cadmus," she said sharply, the light atmosphere surrounding the heroes fading away as they grasped the seriousness in her words. "With a record like that we don't exactly have to wonder if they're the good guys or not."

"No kidding," Cassie agreed, the two blondes smiling at each other as the boys simply nodded and felt determination burn in their chests. Yet Aqualad felt it necessary to remind them of the gravity of what they were about to undertake.

"However justified we believe ourselves to be, I do not think that the League will be pleased with what we are planning to do once they learn of our actions."

It was Robin who swiftly stamped out the light sense of apprehension that roiled within the young heroes as they to realised what they were about to do. "How are we supposed to earn their respect if we don't try to strike out on our own once and a while Aqualad? I don't care what excuse or punishment they come up with for us after they get back about how we aren't ready. I didn't come here for a play date. Besides, they only told us to stay put for the blot out the sun mission, not _this_."

Silence followed the young hero's words, as the others stared at him in surprise. Yet Aqualad only smirked. "Just like that, we're a team on a mission," Aqualad said resolutely, the sense of pride and camaraderie budding among the six heroes growing brighter as they looked at him and smirked.

"Poetic Justice is now by far my favourite kind of justice," Wally joked as he stared at the screen, the mere thought of the look on his Uncle Barry's face when they learned of what they had done causing him to laugh uproariously.

* * *

Firefighters ran back and forth as they tried to keep the fire that had destroyed part of Cadmus Labs under control, desperate to reach the group of scientists still trapped within the top floor of the building as the flames seemed to grow in intensity. Yet as the firefighters prepared for the worst, a sudden blur of yellow shot by the group nearest to the building; racing up the wall and into the window from where the last few scientists called out for help.

"Somebody ask for a ride?" Kid Flash asked the three Cadmus' employees with a smirk, yet it soon vanished as the scientists merely deadpanned at him with blank expressions.

"What part of wait for the rest of us, did you not understand KF?" a feminine voice said from the window behind the yellow speedster. The three scientists turned in surprise and were greeted with the sight of Power Girl flying before them, a small annoyed frown on her face as she stared at Kid Flash.

"Not my problem that you all couldn't come up with a plan. So, I improvised."

"Power Girl's right KF, what if you'd lost your footing on the way up due to the water sticking to your shoes? You'd end up a Kid Pancake on the sidewalk," Wonder Girl remarked pointedly as Robin swung up to join them, while Green Lantern and Aqualad soon arrived and conjured two platforms for the scientists to step onto.

"Sorry about the wait lady and gentlemen, and thank you for flying GL Airlines today," Kyle remarked with a smirk as he lowered the platform while Aqualad used his magic to gently lower the tall spire of water to the ground below. "We hope despite these circumstances that you have a pleasant day," he called out as he and Aqualad jumped into the building, the glow from Kyle's ring fading away as the six heroes spread out and began to investigate the room.

"Appreciate the help," Aqualad said coolly towards Robin, who was quickly tapping away at his holographic display form his wrist mounted computer and hacking the buildings secured database. At his side stood Power Girl, who was typing away at the computer and hacking into the main server with a focused look on her face.

"You guys had it handled. Besides we're here to investigate. Poetic justice and all that remember?"

Aqualad merely shook his head as he moved towards the main hall, passing by Wonder Girl and Kid Flash who were sorting through some of the files left behind on some of the desks. Green Lantern was scanning the rooms with his ring, offering any potentially useful information for Robin to make a note of.

Yet when Aqualad stepped into the hall, the sound of the elevator doors closing startled him. Turning with his weapons drawn, Aqualad was shocked by the sight of what appeared to be a horned humanoid figure staring straight at him. The noise alerted the other heroes as they quickly moved to join him, each of them staring at the elevator in confusion.

"Aqualad, what happened?" Robin asked, his eyes narrowed behind his mask as he cycled through the numerous vision modes in his mask until he was able to see trace amounts of some type of gas floating in the air.

"I saw something, something not human in the elevator."

"Elevators are supposed to be shut down during fire emergencies," Kid Flash noted suspiciously, dashing forward and taking a closer look at the elevator itself.

"Trace amounts of gasoline?" Robin muttered as his mask finally finished analysing the vapors left behind. "This doesn't add up…"

Glancing at the door, Robin's eyes widened as he used Detective Mode to scan the door in the Wayne Tech. database. Bringing up his holocom, Robin swiftly transferred his findings and brought up a full holographic projection of the elevator.

"That's a high-speed express elevator, designed for over 170 stories," Wonder Girl remarked with a raised brow, the other heroes crowding around and staring at the projection. "According to this it's one of the most expensive and advanced express elevators money can buy."

"Then what the hell is it doing in a two-story building?" Lantern asked as he crossed his arms and frowned thoughtfully.

"Along with whatever was inside it," Aqualad chimed in, eyeing the door cautiously while the other heroes stared at it in silence.

Power Girl only smirked as she gave the others a teasing grin before sauntering towards the elevator doors. "I don't know why it's here," she said casually, gently placing her fingers into the grove in between the doors. "But we definitely have to find out." With the barest effort Power Girl shredded the doors and crumpled them like tin foil, shoving them aside as the elevator doors groaned in protest. Smirking proudly, she turned and nodded at the elevator with a wry look in her eyes at her surprised teammates.

"You guys coming or what?"

Robin was the first to recover, stepping forward and smirking ever so slightly at the Girl of Steel, until his eyes narrowed as he glanced down at the seemingly bottomless chasm below. Pulling out his grapple Robin fired it into the ceiling and then entered a free fall, as Green Lantern created a platform for himself and Kid Flash while Aqualad was swiftly grabbed by Wonder Girl.

"Nowhere to go but down," the young Lantern remarked as he led the others down after the Boy Wonder, the sound of Robin's grapple line echoing all around them as the descended into darkness.

Robin remained focused as the numbers flashed before his eyes, until at last he reached the end of his line on sublevel 26. He was genuinely surprised, glancing up and seeing the others not far behind him.

"I'm at the end of my rope. Wow, first time for everything I guess," he remarked before swiftly swinging his body and then launching himself towards the door. Landing on the small ledge, Robin quickly moved to the side as Power Girl came to join him. He brought up his holocom and began to work on the security system.

"Almost there… Now, go!"

Power Girl grunted as she shoved open the doors, moving inside as the others followed close behind her. What greeted them was beyond anything they could have imagined. Dark copper tone walls that rose nearly twelve feet into the air, with dull recessed lights spread out every few feet down a massive corridor to the left and straight ahead.

"Welcome to Project Cadmus, where man plays God," Robin remarked, narrowing his eyes as he stepped further into the gloom.

"John Hammond you are not old boy," Kid Flash remarked with a grin, clapping Robin on the shoulder as he stood beside his friend. "Although, maybe we'll get lucky and they won't have a T-Rex down here."

Power Girl merely rolled her eyes with a grin as she looked at Wonder Girl, causing the other blonde to giggle into her hand while Lantern and Aqualad sighed at Wally's sometimes lackluster humor.

Smiling triumphantly, Wally stretched out his arms before grinning at the others and lowered himself into a sprinting stance.

"Back in a flash," he said and like a bullet was off as nothing but a yellow blur. Aqualad reached out and called out to him, knowing that being reckless in enemy territory was just asking for trouble.

"Kid, wait!"

"Does he always do stuff like this?" Wonder Girl asked curiously, crossing her arms and glancing at the other two male heroes.

"All the time," they said in unison, the bland tone of voice making Wonder Girl smirk as she shook her head.

"Guess that answers that question."

Wally however ignored the other heroes and just ran faster, until a sudden thump on his left startled him. Losing momentum, Wally grunted as he landed and rolled across the floor, staring dumbfounded into the eyes of a hulking red-eyed and gray skinned creature that towered above him. It possessed rough skin and long tusks, with armor plates fused to the skin at the shoulders and nape of the neck and walking on all fours. Yelping in surprise Kid swiftly got to his feet and avoided the creature's feet, finally registering the ten more that lumbered behind it, each of them staring ahead as the others moved to join him.

However, as the creatures' horns glowed a dull red, each of the heroes gained a blank look and muttered aloud. "Nothing to see here, move along." They remained as such until the final one of the beasts vanished from sight, and the heroes all regained control of themselves.

"Which way now Robin?" Aqualad asked, turning towards Robin who was typing at his holocom again.

"Left, the next elevator is just up ahead. We can make our way to sub-level 52 from there."

"Why 52?" Wonder Girl asked quizzically, frowning thoughtfully as Robin merely stopped and gave each of the others a look.

"Don't know, just a gut feeling."

* * *

Meanwhile, as the young heroes made for the lower levels, Doctor Mark Desmond was working on breaking down dark blue crystals in a liquid solution. He smiled wickedly as the mixture began to glow a vibrant blue, highlighting his long brown hair and dark, ragged eyes. He soon chuckled to himself until the door to his lab opened behind him, allowing the hero Guardian to enter.

"Might I ask as to what about, "No interruptions," you don't understand Guardian?" Desmond asked harshly, glaring at the golden masked hero who simply responded with a blank and hard look on his face.

"I'm chief of security Doctor, and I received a message from a G-Gnome on sub-level 26. We have six intruders in the main compound. As such I felt that it was worth bringing to your attention."

"Did I miss a perimeter breach alert Guardian?" Desmond asked skeptically, narrowing his eyes in annoyance as this distraction was taking him away from his research.

"No sir."

"Then the G-Gnome was confused. Need I remind you that Cadmus is perhaps the most secure complex on the planet? Even then we are liable to experience a hiccup or two."

"As head of security it's my job to keep Cadmus that way." Guardian responded promptly, hands crossed behind his back as the G-Gnome perched on his shoulder purred at him and idly scratched at its neck. Desmond only sighed before looking back at his experiment.

"Very well, if you believe this is worth investigating then take a team and take a look," Desmond said with finality, gesturing for the hero to leave the room.

"Might I suggest that Guardian leave his G-Gnome behind for this task Doctor?" a tall, long horned Genomorph said calmly, idly brushing off some stray dust from the shoulders of his medical fatigues. His eyes were a vibrant red colour, and did little to hide the intelligence that the being obviously possessed. Guardian nodded in agreement, looking towards Desmond for confirmation.

"Dubbilex is right, little guy would only get in my way during a fight," Guardian reasoned, reaching up to gently pat the little creature on the head.

"Negative, the advantage of instant telepathic communication outweighs the risks. Besides, _you belong to Cadmus_... No need for you to start thinking on your own. Don't you agree Guardian?" Desmond asked calmly, as a dangerous glint entered his eyes while glancing at his own G-Gnome and giving it a barely perceptible nod.

Soon, the only sounds that reached the hall were Guardian's screams of agony which echoed throughout the lower levels of Cadmus.

* * *

The group of young heroes was silent as they traveled deeper into Cadmus, a tense silence surrounding them.

"A Genomorph army and Project Kr." Robin muttered aloud as he gazed at the information scrolling down his screen. "As if tonight wasn't complicated enough already."

After having discovered the means in which Cadmus was able to keep itself off the grid by breeding creatures known as Genomorphs suited for specific tasks, the young heroes were determined to continue the mission. The League needed to know what was going on, and right now this was their only option.

"Anyone have any idea as to what Project Kr might be?" Lantern asked, glancing at the others as the elevator finally arrived on sub-level 52. "Because I think it has to be real damned important to be this far down."

"I'm with GL on this one, no way would Cadmus go to all this trouble to not have it be something vital to whatever it is they have planned," Kid Flash said as he glanced around warily, the others close behind.

"Perhaps we should contact the League. The deeper we go, the more I get the feeling that perhaps we might be in over our heads," Aqualad said cautiously as Robin led them further into the tunnels. Their encounter with Guardian had unsettled him, watching as the small creature Robin identified as a G-Gnome used its abilities to manipulate the hero.

Robin was about to reply, when instinct took over and forced the heroes into cover as a canister of explosive chemicals was launched towards them.

"Scatter." Robin called out as he grabbed some of his birdarangs, launching them at the tall horned figure that emerged from the shadows.

"You will go no further," Dubbilex called out as he raised his arms and used his telekinesis to launch more of the canisters and other large pieces of equipment at the young heroes.

Power Girl prepared to lung at him, but Robin sprinted away and towards the opposite corridor.

"This way!" he yelled out, throwing his birdarangs at the ceiling as they began to flash a vibrant red. The others soon followed, with Power Girl for good measure grabbing one of the canisters and throwing it like a baseball at the Genomorph as the birdarangs finally detonated.

The explosion caused the roof to rumble and partially collapse, blocking off the hallway the heroes had travelled down from the main hall. Dubbilex merely lowered his arms, the slightest tilt of his upper lip betraying the feeling of satisfaction he felt as he watched the heroes get closer to their objective.

"The intruders are heading straight for Project Kr," he said aloud as Guardian rounded the corner with a squad of predatory Genomorphs close behind him. "Be ready, I will use my powers to move the debris but we must hurry," Dubbilex said calmly while Guardian merely nodded and double checked his gear while the Genomorph doctor did his work.

Rounding a corner, the heroes were surprised to see a dark skinned woman in a lab coat walking towards them, while Robin's attention was on the large blast doors behind her. With Project Kr emblazoned on the front in green lettering.

"Power Girl, Wonder Girl, get the door!" he called out as they sprinted for the door, watching as they began to close before their eyes.

Both girls only nodded as they flew at breakneck speed for the door, grabbing hold of either side and holding them open long enough for the boys to make it through.

"GL blast the canisters!" Robin called out as he threw more of his birdarangs at the floor, releasing a thick smoke to obscure him and the other heroes from view as the sounds of more Genomorphs echoed behind them.

Blasts of green energy emerged from the smoke, detonating the canisters as the heroes' sprinted past them. Flames erupted from the explosion and coated the floor, licking at the walls and forcing the Genomorphs to retreat for the moment.

"Close the door!" Robin called once Aqualad made it past the door, bringing up his holocom and overriding the security locks on the door as Power Girl and Wonder Girl slammed them shut. "Got it, that ought to hold them off for a while."

Power Girl strode over and smiled coyly at the Boy Wonder, placing her arms on his shoulder and looking down at him.

"Nice work Wonder Boy. You sure know how the get the job done," she said close to his ear, smiling at feeling the younger teen tense as her warm breath washed over him. Wonder Girl walked over and gently punched Robin on the arm while GL and Aqualad clapped him on the shoulders.

"Power Girl's right, you were awesome out there Robin!" Wonder Girl said enthusiastically, giggling at the suddenly embarrassed look on the Dark Knight's protégé's face.

"You know I hate to break up the moment guys, but I think you need to come and see this," Kid Flash called out from further inside the room, the darkness broken by only a few lights overhead.

Moving to gather around the yellow speedster, the other heroes were in utter shock when KF tapped a few keys on the console and caused a large pod in the centre of the room to light up. Their reactions were understandable to the sight that greeted their eyes.

"By Rao…!"

"Holy shit."

"Is that-?"

"By Poseidon..."

"Well, I guess we know what Kr stands for now."

With eyes closed, and clad in a vibrant white skin tight body suit was a rather tall and muscular young man. With jet black hair, strong features and a broad physique. The most defining feature however, was the bright red S centered within a shield emblazoned proudly on his chest.

"Big K, little R. The atomic symbol for Krypton," Wally muttered while glancing back at the others, Power Girl in particular as she gazed in abject horror at what lay before them.

"A clone?" she said horrified, glancing down at Robin as the rest of the heroes turned and shared the same concern in their expressions.

Robin was silent as he simply pulled out a cable from his gauntlet and inserted it into the console, typing madly at the holocom display as information was swiftly ripped from the computer.

"Looks like the encryption isn't as thorough this time. Anyway, Project Kr codename Superboy. Let's see. Solar suit allows him to absorb yellow sunlight 24/7, the little creatures called G-Gnomes have been force feeding him an education and we can only guess at what else… Here we go. Someone didn't manage to fully encrypt all of the files on how the DNA was retrieved."

"What does it say?" Wonder Girl asked, her eyes staring at the almost lifeless body of the Kryptonian contained in the pod.

"Says here… that he was forcefully grown from a fetus harvested from Lois Lane under orders from the Cadmus Board of Directors sixteen weeks ago. Original attempts at using classified human donor and DNA acquired from Superman proved unsuccessful thus forcing Cadmus to rethink their approach."

"By the gods…" Wonder Girl said in disbelief, her hands going to her mouth as grief swelled in her heart for the young man currently trapped in what amounted to nothing but a cage.

"They took him," Power Girl muttered as she stared at the result of what Cadmus had done to her family, the abject horror soon replaced with terrible rage as she recalled the symptoms Lois had been experiencing months earlier. Forcing her to travel to a doctor in Washington due to her being on assignment for the Planet at the time.

"They stole him from us," she growled dangerously, eyes hard as steel as she clenched her fists and started to crush the console in her grip.

"There is no way in hell we're going to leave him here," Lantern said forcefully, his rage causing his power ring to act up as a harsh green aura surrounded him.

"Agreed. The Big Guy needs to know, and we can't let them make a slave of his son," Kid Flash agreed, crossing his arms as he glared at the machines which gave the pod the energy it required.

"Now we contact the League." Aquald ordered, quickly tapping at the symbol on his belt, however to his dismay he received only static. The other heroes tried as well, and were met with similar results.

"Great, can't get a clear signal out from down here," Robin said in annoyance, glaring at the screen on his holocom in quiet fury.

"We're in too deep, literally." KF muttered.

"Then we need to find a way out of here so we can get in touch with the League," Lantern said, turning towards the glass pod and then looking back at Robin. "And I think a little extra muscle could go a long way in helping to get us out of here."

"Already ahead of ya," Robin said with a small smirk, tapping at the console as the pod was slowly lowered to the ground and the contained environment was breached as oxygen rushed in. the dull sound of the pods canopy rising upward was one welcome to the heroes as they awaited for the Son of Krypton to open his eyes.

* * *

Desmond was visibly distressed when he arrived on the scene, watching as Guardian and more of the Trolls worked to remove the debris while Doctor Spence was working on the door lock.

"They're still in there, with the weapon!" he yelled out angrily, storming up to Guardian and hauling the hero aside. Turning to face Dubbilex, he snarled at the Genomorph. "Why didn't you just use your telekinesis?"

"I have tried, to no avail," Dubbilex responded shortly, bowing his head in apology as Desmond threw up his hands in disgust.

"Utterly useless the lot of you!" he growled, marching towards the door controls. "Why not have one of the Trolls do it?"

"We need all the muscle to clear away the debris, and to make sure the ceiling doesn't come down onto our heads," Guardian explained, calmly placing his hands on his hips. "I already ordered another squad to come down here and give us a hand in order to speed things up."

"You do realise that once we get in there, we can't ever let them leave don't you?" Desmond said in kind, idly running his hand through his hair and straitening the once frazzled locks.

Guardian appeared genuinely surprised at the question. "Look Doc, these aren't exactly your average meddling kids," he said raising his hand up attempting to calm Desmond. "We don't want to be on the wrong side of the Justice League."

"I'd sooner take my chances with them than the Cadmus Board of Directors, believe me." Desmond muttered darkly, glancing down until a thought occurred to him.

"Contact the G-Gnomes inside Kr."

The little creature simply closed its eyes as its horns began to glow a vibrant red.

Inside the room, the other heroes were gathering around the pod, and thus failed to notice the horns on the three G-Gnomes inside the pod begin to glow. For a single heartbeat, it was utterly silent, until they started when Superboy's right hand flexed and cracked the joints rather loudly. Taking in a shuddering breath, Superboy grunted as he opened his eyes as the G-Gnomes enforced their will upon him.

For a moment, all was well. Until with a roar of challenge Superboy lunged forward and tackled Aqualad, smashing the Atlantian into the ground with a thunderous boom. Raising his fists, Superboy smashed them into the other boy's face, the echoing thud reverberating through the room as the other heroes moved to intervene.

"Superboy stop!" Robin yelled as he jumped onto the Kryptonian's back, wrapping his arms around the taller boy's throat. Reaching back, Robin grasped one of his gas grenades however it was knocked from his hand when Superboy bucked his shoulders in an attempt to shove him off.

"Please listen to him, we're on your side!" Power Girl called out as she grabbed Superboy's right arm, visibly straining from the effort of holding him back. Wonder Girl joined in, wrapping her lasso around Superboy's left arm while Green Lantern created a barrier between the raging Kryptonian and Aqualad.

"Come on Supey, snap out of it would'ya!" KF called out as he sprinted forward and delivered a rather powerful punch to the half-Krytonian's jaw. Superboy would not listen however, his rage and the messages from the Gnomes wreaking havoc with his mind as he rose to his feet and used all of his strength to toss the others off of him.

Robin groaned as he was tossed through a glass case, darkness claiming him as he fell to the ground unconscious. Power Girl and Wonder Girl fared better, however they were visibly shaken as they smashed into the walls and fell to the floor.

KF was the next one taken out of the fight, being clotheslined by Superboy and then sent careening into the console. He landed on his side and groaned in pain before going limp. Green Lantern was able to retrieve Aqualad, as they squared off with the Son of Superman. They charged together, and Lantern sent a blast from his ring directly into Superboy's chest. It barely phased the Boy of Steel however, leaving Kyle open to a counter that resulted in him smashing his head into the floor and being greeted by darkness.

"Enough!" Aqualad yelled, grabbing his water-bearers and creating twin blades as he charged at Superboy. "We are trying to help you!" Aqualad pleaded, yet it fell on deaf ears as they clashed with one another. Superboy dodged and weaved through each of Kaldur's attacks, before launching an uppercut into the Atlantian's gut and forcing his breath out in an explosive gasp. Aqualad was sent flying into the ceiling, smashing into it with great force before he tumbled to the floor covered with debris.

Power Girl and Wonder Girl finally recovered, rising to their feet and seeing how the young Kryptonian gazed impassively at them. He gave them no quarter, rushing them as the one of the G-Gnomes diverted its attention from Superboy and to the two young heroines instead. Like puppets without strings, Power Girl and Wonder Girl collapsed from fatigue, confusing the young Kryptonian as he stopped and stared down at them. He was ordered by the Gnomes to ignore it however, and simply brushed it aside.

Silently Superboy turned and made for the door, striding past the fallen heroes with his every step echoing around him. Placing his hands in the seam of the door, Superboy utterly destroyed them as he sent it careening to the wall, the steel screaming as it was sheared asunder.

This surprised the Cadmus faculty outside, before Desmond merely strode forward and smiled proudly at the still controlled Kryptonian.

"Atta, boy."

 **And thus, our journey begins.**


End file.
